


Papers

by Jb1979jb



Series: As it were [4]
Category: Broadchurch
Genre: Abuse, Domestic Violence, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-07
Updated: 2019-07-07
Packaged: 2020-06-23 17:11:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19705816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jb1979jb/pseuds/Jb1979jb
Summary: Hardy and Ellie regroup in his office after a call out goes bad.





	Papers

Follow-up was Alec Hardy’s least favourite part of his job. Even on frustrating days or during monotonous call outs, there was at least a sense of accomplishment when progress was made on a case or when issues were resolved. However, that sense of satisfaction didn’t apply to the paperwork that inevitably followed. That evening, Hardy found himself inside his tiny office, pivoting between his computer and the stack of documents on his desk. A recent increase in CID's workload had led to Hardy falling behind on the paper trail, leaving him to tackle the record keeping as the rest of the office filtered out for the night. He was, however, grateful to not work alone.

Hardy glanced up from his file to sneak a peak at Ellie Miller, who was immersed in her own documents. She didn’t notice him looking as she flipped through the papers, brow furrowed. She didn’t have to stay late to sort through paperwork, but had volunteered to help after she saw Hardy at his desk. He appreciated the company and the assistance, although he suspected that Miller was avoiding going home more than anything else. She looked up suddenly from her papers, noticing Hardy’s look. Ellie raises her eyebrows at him. “What?”

Hardy shook his head. “Um... nothing.”

Miller fixed him with a glance of her own before responding. “CPS needs the defendant’s mobile records. Also, have you got the initial officer’s report?”

Hardy shuffled through the stack of papers on his desk before locating the forms for Miller. As she tucked them into the file, a uniformed officer knocked on the glass of Hardy’s open office door. Both Ellie and Hardy looked up.

”Sir,” the officer beckoned. “We’ve received another call about the Harrison residence on the estate. A neighbor just called in to report shouting.”

Hardy sighed. “Bloody hell, again? That’s twice this week.”

”Want constables to go down there?” The officer inquired.

”No.” Hardy shook his head. “We’ll go. I’ll put the fear of the Lord into Jeremy Harrison.”

The officer shrugged. “Suit yourself. Charles and I will follow.”

Ellie nodded. She and Hardy stood to abandon their paperwork, knowing full well they’d eventually return to even more.

“Mr. and Mrs. Harrison?” Hardy called through the closed door as he knocked. He paused to no response before rapping harder. “Jeremy Harrison?”

Ellie glanced back towards the street. The uniformed officers looked on from their parked sedan as Ellie and Hardy heard rumbling footsteps approaching from inside the house. The front door flew open as Jeremy Harrison glared out. He glowered at Ellie and Hardy and sighed. “Jesus Christ, what do you want?”

Hardy fixed Jeremy with his own stare. “We received a call about a row. We’re checking on you and your family.”

Jeremy scoffed. “The neighbors need to pull their noses out.” He went to close the door, but Ellie reached out to hold the door open.

“May we talk to your wife?” Ellie inquired with a forced smile.

Jeremy rolled his eyes at Ellie. “There isn’t any bloody problem. Can the pair of you sod off?”

Ellie stared him down, smile frozen. “Let us talk to Mrs. Harrison and we’ll sod off to your heart’s content.”

Jeremy shot the pair daggers and muttered “fine” under his breath. He stalked off into the house, leaving Hardy and Ellie to enter through the open door. His wife, Caroline, was sat on the couch. Her long, dark hair hung in her face as she avoided Hardy and Ellie’s eyes. Jeremy threw himself down next to her, close enough that their legs pressed together. Caroline blinked at the jarring movement, but otherwise remained silent. Ellie looked her over with concern before turning her attention back towards Jeremy.

“We’d like a word with your wife,” Ellie said pointedly. “In private.”

Jeremy sneered at Ellie, and looked back towards Caroline. Her eyes remained fixed on the floor. Jeremy turned back towards the detectives before standing up with a scoff. Once again, Caroline winced as Jeremy jostled her on his way off the couch. He walked between Ellie and Hardy, brushing past them both before pounding up the staircase. The detectives glanced back towards him before turning their attention to Caroline.

“It’s Caroline, isn’t it?” Ellie inquired gently. Caroline nodded without responding, eyes still cast to the ground. Ellie tried again. “We received a call from another house on the estate. They said they heard yelling.” Caroline looked further down, hiding her face behind her stringy hair. Hardy could hear her sniffle. As Caroline fussed with the cuffs of her shirt, Hardy spotted a few concealed bruises encircling her wrist.

“Are your children home, Caroline?” Hardy asked softly. Caroline shook her head, hair dangling down.

“They’re with some mates,” she said quietly, her voice high and tinny in its whisper. “I let them go earlier, before Jeremy came home. When he got here after work, he was angry I’d let them go with out asking him first and…” Caroline trailed off. She put her hand to her mouth and looked away from the pair. Ellie and Hardy shared a glance before turning back towards Caroline.

“Caroline…” Ellie started. “There are other places you can stay tonight. We’ll make sure you and your children go to a safe place, and we’ll set up a meeting with social workers and resource officers who can help you.” Ellie was bolstered when Caroline finally peeked up, eyes rimmed red. “Would you like to come with us?”

Caroline nodded silently, slowly standing up. Ellie tried to reassure her with a smile as Caroline walked towards her front door. Hardy and Ellie began following, when Jeremy darted down the stairs.

“What the fuck?” Jeremy demanded. “Where the hell are you going?”

“Jeremy-“ Caroline started with a shaky voice.

“I don’t know what the hell she said to you, but you lot need to mind your own goddamn business,” Jeremy snapped at Ellie and Hardy.

“Mr. Harrison-“ Hardy said before Jeremy interrupted.

“What the hell right do you have to come into my home and tell my wife what to do?” Jeremy roared at Hardy.

“Mr. Harrison, your wife can do what she pleases,” Ellie responded sharply. Jeremy turned to glare at her.

“My family, my home, is none of your concern,” Jeremy snapped, taking a step towards Ellie.

“Jeremy, please-“ Caroline said with a sob. Jeremy looked back towards his wife and grabbed her by the bicep. Caroline yelped in pain.

“Let her go,” Hardy told Jeremy sternly. Caroline cried out as Jeremy doubled down, pulling her towards him. Ellie and Hardy took a step towards the pair to intervene. As Hardy put a hand to Jeremy’s shoulder in an attempt to pry him away from Caroline, Jeremy snapped. He let Caroline go as he decked Hardy in the face. Caroline shot off towards the front door as Jeremy lunged against a stunned Hardy, pushing him to the floor. Jeremy dove on top of Hardy, thrashing him by the shoulders and delivering a few more punches to his nose and jaw. Dazed, Hardy pushed his own hands into Jeremy’s face, attempting to pry him off. The attempt was futile, however. Jeremy was muscular, with a good additional five stone against Hardy.

”Get off him! Bloody let go!” Ellie’s shouts were nearly drowned out by Jeremy’s rage. Hardy could see Ellie grapple at Jeremy’s shoulders. Although she wasn’t strong enough to pull Jeremy off, a few sharp jabs of her knees into his ribs was enough to stop him from pounding on Hardy. In the respite, the uniformed officers ran into the front room, each grabbing Jeremy by an arm and pulling him up. Ellie immediately dove to the ground, kneeling by Hardy’s side. As one of the officers radioed for backup, the other read Jeremy his rights.

Hardy sputtered and coughed on the floor. Ellie tried to ignore how hard her heart pounded as she assessed his face. Blood flowed from his nose and a split was apparent on his lip. “Don’t sit up,” she ordered him quietly, pressing lightly against his chest in an attempt to keep him in place. Hardy ignored the command, pulling himself up gingerly. He had to grasp Ellie’s arm to maneuver himself into a seated position. She held him by the back as he caught his breath. They heard a sob, and looked up to see Caroline Harrison reentering the room, hand over her mouth. Ellie realized that it was Caroline who alerted the uniformed officers waiting at the curb. As she continued to prop Hardy up, Ellie was grateful for Caroline’s intervention. She could only imagine what could have escalated had uniform not been outside.

Hardy once again surveyed the papers and files littering his desk. Back in his office, he leaned into his couch and sighed. He craned his neck to peer into CID, wincing at the soreness. The room was dark, except for a light in the kitchen. Hardy could see Miller digging through drawers and slamming cabinets. She started briskly back towards Hardy’s office, arms full with tea towels, water bottles, ice, and a first aid kit. She sat opposite Hardy on the couch, dumping the items between them. Ellie picked up the bag of ice and wrapped it in a tea towel. “Here,” she said, handing it to Hardy. “Hold this against something.”

Hardy chose his sore shoulder as Ellie poured water onto another tea towel. She used the damp cloth to blot at the blood on Hardy’s face, other hand on the back of his head to keep him still. Hardy studies her stony expression as she kept her gaze on his injuries. She rewet the cloth before wiping away the remainder of the dried blood under Hardy’s nose.

”You’re cross with me,” Hardy observed.

Ellie huffed as she continued to clean him up. “I don’t understand why you wouldn’t go to A&E.”

”Because I would have been there all bloody night to be told to sleep it off.”

“You hit your head when you fell,” Ellie glowered, turning Hardy’s chin up slightly to assess his lip.

Hardy scoffed. “I didn’t.”

”Yes, you did,” Ellie retorted. “You probably have a bloody concussion. Also,” she continued, dabbing at Hardy’s split lip. “You need to see a dentist. Who knows what he did to your teeth.”

”Jesus, Miller, my teeth are fine.” Ellie didn’t reply as she continued her work, mouth fixed in a straight line. “You know,” Hardy said. “I could do this myself.”

”Shut up,” Ellie replied. She gently maneuvered Hardy’s head to the side to study his left cheek. “You’re getting a black eye,” she told Hardy sharply. “You’re all scraped up on this side.” Ellie dug through the first aid kit. She pulled some antiseptic wipes from the box. Unwrapping them, she blotted at the cuts and scrapes peppering Hardy’s face. He winced at the antiseptic sting. Ellie sighed as she tidied his face. “Your shirt’s bloodied.”

Hardy snorted. “Not like the A&E is going to do my washing up. I’d leave as bloodied as I came in.”

Ellie stopped wiping long enough to glare at Hardy. “What about your pacemaker?”

Hardy raised his brow at her. “What about it?”

“What if he… I don’t know… knocked it out of place or something?”

Hardy scoffed. “He didn’t hit me that hard.” Ellie resumed cleaning up his injuries. Hardy could see reactionary tears forming in her eyes.

“You shouldn’t have done that. You shouldn’t have put yourself in that position.”

Hardy threw his hands up in bewilderment. “What other bloody option was there? He would have gone after you or his wife otherwise.”

“I could have handled him!” Ellie shouted, letting her hands fall away from Hardy’s face.

“I’m not willing to find out if that’s true,” Hardy retorted.

Ellie brushed away a few errant tears and resumed her work on Hardy’s face. One hand held his head in place while the other applied antiseptic with a bit more force than necessary. Hardy gently pried her hand away from his face, not letting go. Ellie’s other hand remained on his head. They stared each other down for a moment before Ellie huffed. “Don’t bloody do that again,” she reprimanded quietly.

“I can’t guarantee shite,” Hardy replied. They stayed in place a moment, facing each other on the couch, before Ellie leaned in. She planted a kiss to the corner of Hardy’s mouth, avoiding the split in his lip. Ellie moved to his cheek and his chin. Hardy let go of the ice wrap and Ellie’s hand. He grasped her back as she carefully kissed his neck, still cold from the ice. Ellie made her way back to his lips. The pair shared a few gentle kisses, the taste of blood and antiseptic still apparent. They moved delicately, neither wanting to aggravate Hardy’s injuries. Ellie broke the kiss to close and lock the office door, switching off the light as Hardy stood to draw the blinds. They met again in the centre of the room, resuming their precise ministrations. They held each other in the darkness, moving slowly and carefully. Ellie once again pulled away.

“You’re sure you’re up to this?” Ellie asked, looking up at Hardy while running her hands over the sleeves of his shirt. He nodded as Ellie pulled off his tie. In the dim light trickling through the blinds, she assessed the dried blood spotting his shirt. “Christ. You’re a mess,” she observed, unbuttoning. Hardy scoffed before pushing Ellie gently back towards his desk. As she made contact, a pile of documents fell to the floor. Hardy glanced down at the paperwork in the darkness, then shrugged.

“It’s for the morning.” The two resumed their kiss as Ellie undid Hardy’s trousers. She pushed them down before removing her own, shrugging off her jacket and depositing it on the ground with the assortment of files and clothing. Ellie sat on Hardy’s desk, holding on to his waist underneath his open shirt and pulling him close. She grabbed him and pushed him inside herself. Ellie reached around his back, pulling him close to her. They moved carefully together, face to face, snogging between quiet gasps and deep breaths. Ellie leaned back on the desk as she pushed her hips into Hardy. His hands moved from her waist to the buttons of her shirt. He opened it, running his hands over her breasts and abdomen as she reached one arm around his back, holding him tightly. Hardy could feel himself on the brink. He pulled Ellie up close against him as he came, groaning into her mouth as he finished. His neck was still smarting, but he allowed himself to stoop a bit and bury his face against the side of Ellie’s neck as she held him. It was the release and the distraction he needed after the nightmare day. Hardy was grateful to not be alone. He pulled his head back up to once again kiss Ellie, who ran her hands down his chest before hesitantly returning to the buttons of her own blouse.

“Alright?” Ellie asked him as they both stood to redress. Hardy nodded. He studied the brown drops peppering his shirt as Ellie held out his suit jacket. He slipped it on, eschewing his tie and instead stuffing it in his pocket. “Come on,” Ellie beckoned. “I’ll drive you home. I’m staying at yours tonight. If you won’t see a doctor, I’m keeping an eye on you.”

Hardy scoffed. “Surely the last few minutes proved that I’m fine?”

Ellie glared at him. “I’m not taking any chances. You’re not dying on my watch. I’ll kill you first.”

Hardy fixed Ellie with his own look, but was internally glad to have her there. She slid her bag over her shoulder before Hardy took her by the waist, pulling her in. He enveloped her in a hug inside the office, illuminated only by the dim bars of light sneaking through the blinds. They stayed still a moment after Ellie reached around him to reciprocate. Hardy planted a kiss into the top of her head, muttering a barely legible “thank you” into her hair before releasing her. Ellie didn’t respond, only giving his arm a gentle squeeze before unlocking the door and exiting the office, Hardy on her heels.


End file.
